Despair
by Crossover Station
Summary: The Black Order has gained a new ally, but so has the Millennium Earl. Homunculi vs. Alchemists, Exorcists vs. Akuma, in the ultimate battle their generation has ever seen. Love, murder, confusion, and sins lay before them. T for violence and cussing.
1. Chapter 1

_**My first story! Yay! I feel so excited to get this out! Of course, I'm a little lazy with writing, so don't get your hopes up about constant updates. Anyway, this is my first story as well as my first anything with -Man. I'm only in the thirties of the show, so don't be expecting characters from the second part on to appear, and I don't know all of what the abilities of the characters are. I know I'll probably get reviews and messages telling me to finish the series, but I NEED to get this story written. If you don't like it, please do not complain. If you feel like helping, please be polite and offer everything you can. I HAVE finished FMA, however, so you can expect some of the familiar homunculi to appear, along with my two OC's (please don't complain, I beg of you; if you don't like them, just go away). Other than that, I hope you enjoy my story and the others I plan to write.**_

Lenalee walked the cobblestone streets. Shops were closed and blinds were pulled shut tight as waterproof seals. Heads peeked out, snapping away whenever she caught their eyes. She felt something hit in the pit of her stomach, an uneasy feeling of nausea. She swallowed and turned the corner.

A sea of massacred bodies lay in the streets. Eight women were cut literally in half, their insides spilled onto the streets. The young girl smelled death and bile rose to her throat. She leaned over and vomited. Her teeth felt sticky and her mouth tasted rotten and hot.

"Aw, poor baby." the voice cooed, and a laughed echoed. "Does Jacky-Boy need to rub your back for you? Or how about some hot tea?"

Lenalee looked into the eyes of a madman with a transformed arm in the shape of a large sword. She felt herself shaking. Akuma had never scared her before. Was it the scene in front of her? Akuma's prey usually turned to dust. Was it the sight of humanly-shaped _fresh_ kill that made her knees knock together? Whatever the reason, she opened her mouth and screamed.

* * *

Allen stared at Reever like he was lit on fire and sucking on a pickle. "Lenalee's hurt?" he said a little too loudly. Lavi and Kanda, who had been bickering in the corner, stopped and came to join the conversation.

"What's this about Lenalee?" Lavi asked.

"We don't know. She encountered something that hurt her badly. According to Komui, it's both physically and mentally."

"Where was she?"

"In a country called Amestris. Komui is traveling this evening to where she is being hospitalized in a city called Central. He wants the three of you to join him." Reever looked at the report he was given. He had dark bags under his eyes and he looked exhausted. After warning them about him reacting oddly to the stress, he told them to meet the Supervisor and left for the paperwork stacked to a height that could compete with Mount Everest.

The three exorcists approached Komui's desk. Odd behavior, all right. Komui's desk was neat and clean. Papers were organized into twelve neat stacks, some filed away and most of it was actually done, and correctly as well. He chewed on his lip as he paced, since all his work was done and he had nothing to do. The appearance of his colleagues seemed to ease him in just the slightest. Allen couldn't help but smile at the display of love and worry Komui had for his sister.

"I can't tell you how long the trip will be, but the Furher has promised to accommodate us with whatever we need. I would suggest a couple days change of clothes, any necessities, and your anti akuma weapons, of course."

Allen could see the professional façade Komui was putting up. Just as he did at times when he didn't want to worry anyone. He knew how hard it was to smile just like Komui was doing. He nodded his understanding and the three of them left to their rooms. Allen stumbled into Miranda, who apologized for knocking him over.

"So, you'll be leaving tomorrow?" she asked him, fighting a lock of back hair from her eyes. Allen nodded slowly, looking at his feet.

"Lenalee's hurt badly. If we don't find who did that to her, I don't think she, or Komui, would be able to live in peace unless we do." He tried rationalizing the situation. Amestris was a new ally. They sent people called alchemists to help them when chaos struck, whether it was war or destruction, man made or natural causes. Allen had never met one before. Maybe this would be an interesting experience.

* * *

Within the next twenty-four hours, and six train rides later, they were in the city called Central. Buildings were tall and grey. The tallest building was quite a walk away, and it had a green flag with a white lion embroidered on it. A woman with cropped black hair and a man with hanging gold locks stood side by side in blue military uniforms.

"Lieutenant Maria Ross." The woman shook hands with each of them, as well as the man, Lieutenant Denny Brosh. "I understand this is a first time visit for all of you. I want to officially and warmly welcome you to our city, and our country." She was a kind woman. Allen took a liking to her immediately.

The six of them squeezed into a car. Komui and Ross began talking, discussing things of a higher value than Allen cared to guess. Stuck between Kanda and Lavi, who both blocked the view out the window, he could only sit there and be bored, staring at the higher-ups. Ross caught his eye and smiled at him.

"It would seem we're ignoring you three." she said. "I've heard of these anti-akuma weapons you have. How do they work?"

The three exorcists exchanged looks. Then Lavi pulled his hammer out of his pocket.

"Mine is an Equipped Type. Big Hammer Little Hammer." He looked quite proud of himself. "It can grow to large sizes and extend as long as a trip around the Earth and still stay the same weight."

Ross looked confused and impressed. Kanda only held up his sword and didn't even look at her. Typical Kanda.

Allen removed his glove. The dry red skin of his left arm startled the lieutenants. "Mine's a Parasite Type. I can change it into a larger arm, a sword, and a gun. It takes its toll, though." he said, and put his glove back on. Ross and Brosh only grinned with a rather disturbed hint to their lips. But they had reached the building. The four Black Order members said goodbye to the lieutenants, and hello to Major Alex Louis Armstrong.

Armstrong was a rather well-built man with only one little curl on his head and a very boisterous personality. When he shook hands with Allen, it felt like he was going to rip his arm off. Thankfully, it was his right hand that was throbbing, and not his anti-akuma weapon.

It was strange being in this new land. Anyone he passed in the hallway stared. He felt like a caged animal, unable to say or do anything.

He led them all the way to a grand room with the same lion printed on a rug under their feet. A woman with black horn-rimmed glasses stood up.

"Major, good morning!" she said loudly, bowing to him.

"Sciezska, good morning. These are the exorcists who have come to speak with Furher Mustang."

"Ah, yes, I'll let him know you're here!" After notifying a man through a speaker phone, she told them to walk right in. They did so.

Furher Mustang was a tall, black haired man whose eye was colder and harder than even Kanda's. His left eye was covered by an eye patch that covered almost the entire half of his face. The first thing Lavi said to him after introductions was, "Oh, hey, we match!"

Furher Mustang only grinned and shook hands with the rest of us. And then he motioned to the three other people in the room.

"This is Colonel Riza Hawkeye. She's a very personal assistant of mine. These two boys are Edward and Alphonse Elric. They are two very important State Alchemists in our military."

Kanda looked between Edward and Allen, then a rather evil grin spread on his face. "Looks like we found someone smaller than you, Shortstack."

Edward glared at him with daggers in his eyes. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT EVEN AN EXORCIST TWO YEARS YOUNGER THAN HIM COULD CRUSH WITH A SPOON?" he screamed, flailing his arms and legs. Allen believed he would have killed Kanda had Alphonse not held him back. The younger brother looked very apologetic.

When everything became "professional," Mustang led them to the infirmary. Lenalee had been put in the back, away from other patients. She was sleeping, but that only made the view of her injuries that much worse. She was scratched, cut, and even stabbed in a couple places, but nothing even close to lethal.

"It looks like he toyed with her until he got bored." Edward said. Komui clenched his fists. The alchemists seemed totally unaware of what his statement did to him.

"Miss Lee." Riza was shaking her gently. "Miss Lee, it's time to wake up. Your brother is here to see you."

Lenalee seemed to be sleeping too deeply to be woken, but her eyes soon opened. She seemed a little fazed, but her eyes focused enough for her to recognize her brother. She smiled with chapped lips and held onto her brother tightly. Her small frame convulsed violently as she sobbed. Komui seemed to forget that anyone else was there as he tried to quiet her crying.

She soon calmed down. Lenalee didn't let go of her brother. But when she looked at Allen, she looked at him strangely. Then her eyes widened. Her mouth opened and she screamed.

"No!" she cried. "He's back, he's back! Stop, no, go away!" She buried herself underneath Komui's white coat. Mustang led everyone but her brother out of the room. The Furher's gaze was hard on Allen.

"Well, it seems as though you resemble her attacker."

"Wait, Allen looks like the killer?" Lavi asked, pointing to Allen's head. "He's got white hair, for crying out loud!"

Mustang only smiled. It was a sly, sneaky grin. "Yes. That means finding our killer will be much easier, because now we know what we're looking for."

* * *

James walked into the dining room, bowing to the Noahs and the Earl. "You wanted to see me, Master?"

"Yes," the Earl said, his inhuman voice echoing through the tiny room. "I know it was quite sudden to call you, but I wanted you to join in our meal." When James erected his body, he noticed the unusual and pale guests. "After all, you are responsible for our new allies."

The homunculi, known to the Noahs and Earl as the Seven Sins, were scattered around the table. His lover, Pride (wanting to be known simply as Clare) winked at him and patted the chair next to her. The akuma nodded and joined the rest of the people at the table. Unlike the others, no food sat in front of him.

Lust and Gluttony sat across from him, between Road and Tykki. The fat one sat on the floor, sucking on an arm. James examined it. It was a right arm. He seemed to enjoy it like a toddler with a giant lollipop. Funny, the sight didn't disgust him. Tykki seemed a little disturbed by him.

"Must he be chewing on a person during our meal?" the man asked, placing his silverware on the table and wiping at his mouth. Lust only smiled.

"I apologize." she said in that husky voice of hers. "Gluttony, please finish your meal outside the dining room."

Gluttony looked at her with sad eyes. "But, I don't want to leave."

"No need for him to leave," the Earl said. "We're all family here, including James."

Road grinned. "So, which one is your girl, akuma?" She never did like acknowledging the fact that he had a name.

"Pride." he answered. The petite woman next to him only sat up straighter and smiled.

"I prefer to be called Clare. If we went by our 'real' names, then it would be harder to blend in."

"Clare," she corrected, adding her usual sarcastic tone. Pride, one not to take such attitude lightly, turned to Tykki.

"Is she always such a brat?"

Road glowered at her.

"It's natural for Road to be sarcastic." he answered cautiously. Road only glanced at him sideways and continued to eat her egg.

"Alright, that's enough chatter." the Earl said. Skin had begun to break an akuma maid to bits. James felt hatred for his superior, but did nothing to show it. He, after all, was just as breakable as she was, and just as expendable. "We have to discuss the recent alliance between our enemies."

"Yeah," Greed sighed, flinging his feet onto the table. "The military and the Black Order are friends now, right?"

"Yes. I believe James had a little fun with an exorcist just the other day."

James felt a fire rush through him at the memories. "Ah, yes," he admitted, grinning devilishly. "Making her scream was easy, with just a small stab in the right place. She was fun to play with." His voice had gotten low, husky, at the rapture of the kill. But he soon resumed his regular, laidback personality.

"She was wondering the streets of a town just outside Central, where she and other Black Order members are now." Envy stood back in the corner. True to what Pride had told him about the genderless homunculus, Envy wasn't too favorable of "grand events" like this one. "I posed as a nurse and listened in on their conversation. They know to look for someone with white hair."

"Oh, what a bother." the Earl sighed. "James, we'll have to dye your hair."

James scowled beyond his control. He liked his white hair. It called attention to him, and he loved watching men's jaws drop and eyes squint jealously with his gorgeous homunculus on his arm.

"Alright."

"Nothing too flashy, of course. We want you to blend in."

_**Not too bad for my first fic? Leave a review and let me know what you think. The first chapter is just an introduction, I'll REALLY get things going in chapter two. So, until then!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Part two. This is when things get interesting. I'm glad to see someone cared about the second chapter. :D Also, if you have any questions you want to ask, send them to me in a note, and I'll answer them in the next chapter's author's note.**_

_***Also, I'm so sorry for the late update. I got the stomach flu last Friday, and my dad wouldn't let me near the computer, just in case I ended up sick again.**_

"Hey, look at me!"

Tyki almost fell down out of his chair when he saw Road and Wrath had morphed together at the hip down. "I can wiggle his leg, and mine!" She showed this to them.

"My God!" he cried. Lust only looked on in boredom. Gluttony was whining about his hunger pains. Greed was flirting with Lulu Bell, who obviously didn't like the attention. Envy was all but asleep. Sloth smiled fondly at her "son."

"Come now, Wrath, don't play during our grown-up talk." she said. She patted her lap for him to sit on her legs. He grinned like a child, clapped his hands, and climbed out of Road's middle. The light in the sadistic girl's eyes faded. The little boy climbed up, resting his head on Sloth's chest. He was asleep in seconds. She continued to stroke his hair as the meeting continued. Road sat next to a still disturbed Tyki, taking part in the battle plans.

"James, you'll need to lay low for a while." the Earl continued. Even though the akuma had dyed his hair, as ordered, it was obvious he wasn't too happy with the change. And neither was his girlfriend. Pride had seemed a little depressed since his hair color darkened drastically.

"Yes, sir. I'll continue to keep in touch with anyone on the field from here, and report back to you." he answered. His hair today was pulled back in a tight braid, not a hair out of place. Pride was fiddling with a ribbon she'd found in her pocket, twirling it around. She looked bored, and after two hours of talking, she was ready to get out on the town with her lover. She'd found a new love hotel, pretty cheap, and her girlfriends in Amestris said it was a lovely place; the food was great and the beds were soft.

"Good, good." he cackled, then turned to Pride. "Didn't you have a plan for getting across enemy lines?"

"Yes, I do." Pride sat up straighter, slipping the ribbon back into her pants. "I've got a new position in the Black Order."

* * *

Edward glared at Kanda the entire trip back to England. He and his brother had been assigned to protecting the exorcists in the Black Order, and he wasn't too happy with this guy who cracked short jokes every five seconds. Wait, what was that?

"WHO CALLED ME SHORT?" he screamed, his little brother again holding him back. A woman with black hair pulled back into a small ponytail looked at him with innocent eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't talking about you. I told my friend that my _hair_ was cut a little too short."

Edward felt weird about the girl. Her eyes were strange. He felt like she was looking through him, but he apologized and turned back around. Still, that woman's gaze stuck in his mind like a festering wound, until he turned around to look at her and caught her staring at him. She quickly turned around.

"Brother?" Al asked him. "What's wrong?"

He waved it away. "Nothing, nothing!" he laughed. "I'm just hungry, I guess."

"Should we order you a bread crumb?"

"I'm going to kill you!" Al spent the next five minutes holding his brother away from Kanda. Lavi grinned like a kid in a candy store, and Allen was sleeping. Lenalee was being taken back to the headquarters in a different train, made especially for transporting the sick. The scientist sitting next to him dazed out the window. _His sister must have reached the tower by now_, Ed thought lazily.

The scenery passed, and the crossed the border into England, into the city of Gloucester. Large building passed by the trains as it pulled into a stop. There, they got off to catch a train that was headed straight to London, where the Order would allow them rest and food.

The girl Edward had noticed got off as well, allowing him to notice her more. She wore a turtleneck green sweater, prepared for the rain and cold winds, and a white lab coat. He noticed the black suitcase in her hand.

"Well, just one more stop." Komui said gleefully, dusting off his clean beret. "We'll be back to the Black Order in no time."

The woman perked up. "Excuse me, did you say the Black Order?" she asked, her voice getting more excited. Komui nodded slowly, looking quite confused in her asking. But the woman grinned widely.

"I'm the new scientist at the Order!" she said. "You must be Section Leader Komui Lee, am I correct?"

"Yes." he answered. He seemed to be a little surprised to hear this, but he soon gained a look of recollection. "Ah, yes, I remember now! Miss, ah, Miss…?"

The woman grinned, and Edward felt a wave of nausea settle in his stomach. Something about those eyes gave him a wary feeling. "Just call me Clare, sir."

* * *

Now settled in their rooms, they had a chance to dry off. Alphonse's hair was sticking to his cheeks, a little fuzzy from being scrubbed dry. Edward sat in his brother's room, sitting on the bed. The image of the new scientist, now in the lab, was stuck in his head. Nothing settled right with her.

"Brother?" Alphonse asked after a moment of silence. "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah," he admitted, lying on his back. "That woman, Clare. I can't get her out of my head."

"Don't tell me you're in love, brother." Al laughed. Edward brushed off the taunt.

"No. I don't know how to explain it." He rolled into his side, facing his kid brother. "I mean, the best way to put it is that I feel like I can't trust her."

"Maybe it's because you thought she called you short?"

"Absolutely not! I already apologized for that!" Edward sat up, reaching back to braid his damp hair. "But…I don't know."

"Don't let it bother you." Al said, putting his shirt back on. "I'm sure that she's really a sweet girl."

* * *

Clare, after initiation into the science department, sat in her room, sheathing her coat. It had been a hard day of paper signing, and her hands ached. The door opened, and Reever walked in. Clare looked back, pulling her shirt back over her stomach and scowling as he checked the hallway to make sure no one saw him, and then closed the door.

"You couldn't have waited until after I changed?" she asked, sitting on the bed. A clown with sad tears painted on its face grinned over its control of a broken marionette from the canvas over her head. Reever shivered.

"That's a creepy picture. Take it down."

"I like it." she said. Reever changed and Envy squatted to the floor. He dragged his finger across, and then looked at it.

"You're swimming in dust."

"If you don't like my room, leave. I don't have time to waste on you. Now, face the wall so I can change." Envy turned around as she stripped off her sweater. He shifted his weight in his corner, and sneezed. Clare pulled in a lighter blouse, examining the makeup on her throat. The Ouroboros tattoo's red color was showing through only slightly.

"The Fullmetal boy is suspicious of me." she said, clicking her tongue to let Envy know he could come out of the corner. She took out her makeup bag, a lovely gift from James, and began to rub a wet mixture onto her neck. Envy stared at her with disgust before continuing the conversation.

"Well, make sure he isn't. Don't act like it's a job to be buddy-buddy with him. Your job is to sneak records from the exorcists and try to find something we can go on."

"Personal records? Mission records? Discovery records? There are a lot of files to go through here, not to mention Chief Komui's desk." She shuddered at the thought of going through that mess.

"Anything that will help break the alliance and start another war."

"What will that do? A military full of men ready to blow heads off and clergymen who have vowed never to kill a human. Yeah, that'll get somewhere."

"I'm sure they'd turn into an army if the need called for it. Besides, casualties would weaken both sides for wipe out. Those who died would more than likely be turned into akuma, anyway, and the duke would be happy about that."

"I thought he was an earl?"

"Same thing." Envy waved his hands to the side, changing the topic. "Anyway, use that weird power of yours to find out what we can use." The homunculi changed shape, turning into the innocent, puffy haired Johnny. Johnny grinned evilly, peeked out the door, and left.

"Stupid boy." After applying a little powder, spraying it and then patting it to look more realistic, she fixed her collar and left the room, tying her hair back as she walked. She bumped into a young woman with curly black hair. Both fell back on their haunches, though the other woman was up faster the Clare.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Oh, please tell me you're alright!"

Clare looked into the face of a female exorcist. Her soft accent heralded German origin. Clare smiled, being friendly. "I'm fine, thank you. I'm sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going." She accepted the small woman's hand.

"I'm Miranda." she said. "I'm so sorry for knocking you down."

"It's fine, don't fret over it." She brushed down her skirt. "It's nice to meet you, Miranda. Clare."

The woman smiled, looking, for some reason, relieved.

"Oh, could you show me where the dining hall is?" Clare asked, rubbing her belly.

She really had no appetite, but she had to feign the hunger in order to keep up with her human appearance. She even had James practice with her. One meal when you woke up, one in the middle of the day, and one at night, plus a snack or two in between on occasion. And being female, she was allowed to skip snacks, and even a meal, in the name of retaining her "perfect figure." Also, being in the science division made her lose track of time (and location) while on the job, meaning decreased meals. She was sure to take _that_ detour when possible.

"Yes, I'll show you. I was just headed there." She took Clare's hand and turned her around. Clare frowned from behind her back. She really preferred James's hand, not any human's hand.

The two Alchemists were standing with Allen. She'd noticed the way Fullmetal had been eyeing her. She knew he was suspicious about her. She thought about playing it cat-and-mouse, but it would be better if she played dumb. After all, he'd be the one who looked like an ass in the end.

* * *

James lay back on the bed, stark naked under the covers. His black hair was wet, sticking to his shoulders and neck. The TV in front of him was blaring some Spanish soap he wasn't even paying attention to. His mind was somewhere else, in his blood-streaked past. He sighed heavily, sitting up.

"Well, someone's tired." Clare grinned from the doorway, clad in her favorite black silk robe. The akuma sat up, watching her as she walked around the bed to her normal side. She shed the robe slowly, aware her lover was watching her.

"Not tired. Bored." he corrected, unable to control his eyes. She pivoted and climbed under the bed sheets.

"I must thank Road for helping me transport between the Order and your house every weekend."

"You already have, every day since this started." After only a month of working in the biology division of the science department, Clare had managed to cover the files of the number of parasite type Innocence that were in the exorcists' hands and how they worked. James had not been too happy about seeing someone else was allowed to keep his silver hair.

"Yes, but she's such a lovely girl."

"My master is too sweet on her." James admitted, putting his arm around her hip. Clare leaned against him, drawing her knees against her breasts.

"Well, as the oldest, she has privileges." Clare giggled as James fingered the Ouroboros tattoo on her neck. "Stop, stop it! That-that tickles!"

James grinned. "Sorry."

"No you're not."

The two of them quieted their laughter, using each other as props. Her long hair brushed against his skin. She breathed heavily, watching the bluish screen flash.

"Clare?"

"Hn?"

"You and the other homunculi are trying to become human."

"Yeah, of course." She looked up at him with inquisitive eyes.

"Why?" James looked to his hands. This was a conversation that they both had been trying to avoid. Clare frowned at him. "Why would you want to become so weak?"

"It is the only reason we live. It is what our creator wanted, and so it is what we want." Clare held her hand against her lower belly. "You may think it is silly, but I have always wanted a child, a baby of my own flesh and blood."

James only smiled. It was so like her. Cruel and merciless as she was, Clare was certainly the motherly type. A child driving her need to be human didn't surprise him in the least.

"Do you not want me to be human?" she asked, light fading from her eyes. James only sighed, running his hand through his disgusting black locks.

"It's not that." he admitted, biting his lip before continuing. "I mean, you know I've been with other women before you." He tensed as she did. They both didn't like his sexual past. Not enough excitement for him, and pure raging jealousy for her. "It's just, every woman I've been with, until now, has all perished by my hands. You continue to live no matter how many times I accidentally kill you. You actually seem to enjoy the pain."

"In the height of lust, anything feels wonderful." she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder and looking strangely proud of herself. "I wonder, do you wish you were human?"

"Now I do." he answered. She only smiled with as much pure love as a homunculus could, and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

* * *

Clare, back at the Order after a wonderful love making at James's room, was sneaking through the hallways. She was quiet in the shadows. Being caught meant she was dead, and though she was sure the Great Generals would be gladly rid of such a pest, her regenerative powers as a homunculus meant that sneaking out of the Order would prove difficult, with two alchemists who knew how to kill one of her kind under the same roof.

She stepped quietly into the science department. She heard the crinkling of paper and turned around swiftly. Chief Komui was sitting at his desk. He smiled at her, wearing the light blue shorts and ruffled white nightshirt. "You're a little early for work."

"S-sorry, I think I left something in here." she lied, biting her lip as her eyed her.

"Did it hurt? Your 'tattoo'?" he asked her. Her eyebrows shot up and she covered her neck with her hand. He smiled knowingly. "I don't want to know what one of you is doing in here. My guess is you're a spy?"

Clare hissed profanities as she dropped her hand. "You're smarter than I thought, Chief."

"Oh, I love to relax. However, my job is to look out for the exorcists." he said, suddenly serious. That scowl of his, like he had just smelled something bad and didn't know where the source was, pissed her off incredulously. She couldn't believe such a small gesture was so annoying. She bent her fingers violently, popping the joints. It was her habit of getting ready for a fight. But Komui only broke out into a grin that made her shake with anger. "Go ahead, kill me. You'll only find yourself guilty, proving me right. Hevlaska noticed it, too."

"What, could she feel the stones inside of me?" Clare broke into an agitated grin. She was playing right into the chief's trap, and she knew it. But she was not the only one who would escape scathed and battle scarred.

"She could hear those poor souls crying." Komui suddenly looked saddened. "I have never seen her cry before, until she inspected you. However, she has a pity for your kind. She wants to believe that you are on our side."

"She's sorely mistaken. As soon as I can find the tiny nook your security overlooks, the akuma and Noah will come in, and not even your precious 'Destroyer of Time' can stop the Earl."

"I _do_ pity you." he said, as though her grand speech had never been uttered from her tongue. She bit her bottom lip, a habit out of anger, hard enough to make it bleed. Her teeth in her skin made it impossible to heal. "After all, I wonder what memories flood through your mind. I wonder what your reasons to becoming human are. I've read books; homunculi are created against their will, exist because of someone else's selfish desires."

"Bastard!" she screamed, flinging herself at him. He hit dropped his mug as the two bodies collided, and fell into a large, cushioning pile of papers. White sheets flew like rectangular snow as she held his throat in a grip like a noose. Komui's face turned a light pink, but he did not let his superiority falter.

"Yes?" he asked hoarsely.

"You son of a bitch! Don't you _dare_ pity me, don't you even _think_ about it!" Her hands were shaking, and spit leaked from her crying lips. "I hate all you damned exorcists, claiming that God chose you!"

Then, Clare began to laugh. It was a hysterical, witchy laugh. Komui seemed surprised, letting that smug look of a cat that had cornered a mouse it was tired of playing with go into the wind.

"God? God! Hah, you poor, naïve 'disciples!' There is no God!" She released his throat, catching his collar and pulling his eyes to meet hers. She saw only the tiniest flicker of fear. It was almost too small to be seen, but it was there, giving her some form of hope. "You wanna know what there is? There is the Gate, and the tiny demons that live within, offering wonderful treasures that would make even your 'God' a pauper of the street." She let him fall to the ground. She wiped her mouth and let him off the floor. Then, as though nothing had ever happened, she went back to her desk and retrieved the files she had been looking at. "I'm working overtime, Chief, if that's okay with you."

An evil gleam in that tiny woman's eyes told Komui he had better be okay with it.


End file.
